The Animal Welfare Act regulates the care and treatment of which of the following animals?

• A. Rabbit in a research laboratory
• B. Privately-owned cat
• C. Snake for sale at the pet store
• D. Goat raised for meat

Answer: (A)

The Animal Welfare Act governs the care and treatment of animals involved in research, teaching, testing, exhibition, or transport, focusing on warm-blooded vertebrates used in these activities. A rabbit in a research laboratory clearly falls under this oversight because it is a warm-blooded animal used for scientific work. The other scenarios involve animals that are generally not regulated by the Act in their typical roles: privately owned household cats aren’t covered, snakes sold in pet stores aren’t routinely regulated under the Act, and goats raised for meat are farm animals not covered by AWA. (Note: the Act does not extend to all animals—mice, rats, and birds bred for research are not included, but rabbits used in labs are.)